Afghanistan: ISIL behind murder of 6 local Red Cross employees

Six local humanitarian workers, employees of the Red Cross, lost their lives on Wednesday while transporting supplies to the north of the country, which is almost cut off by snowdrifts. Official government reports state that this is a multiple murder behind which ISIL stands, reports Reuters, carried by Patria.

The trail of two other humanitarian workers has been lost following the attack in Afghanistan's Jowzjan province, the Red Cross states, adding that in this case, it is unknown who is behind the attack on the convoy.

- This is a heinous act. Nothing can justify the murder of our colleagues and dear friends, said Monica Zanarelli, head of the Red Cross delegation in Afghanistan, in a statement.

Humanitarian workers were in a convoy transporting aid to areas affected by a snowstorm when they were attacked by ISIL militants, Lotfullah Azizi, governor of Jowzjan province, told Reuters.

- Daesh is very active in that area, he said, using an alternative name for ISIL.

The local police chief told the media that the bodies of the unfortunate workers were transferred to the provincial capital, and that a search is underway for the two missing Red Cross employees.

A Taliban spokesman said his group was not involved in this attack and promised that the members of this group would "do their best to find the perpetrators".

Last month, a Red Cross employee of Spanish origin was released after being kidnapped a month earlier by unidentified attackers in northern Afghanistan.

Officials of the Afghan Red Cross state that security problems significantly hinder humanitarian work in this country.

- Despite everything, the Red Cross remains committed to the people of Afghanistan, as it has shown in its 30 years of presence in the country, the organization's statement reads.